DALLAPE- MAESTRO (Beautiful instrument, poor shape)

[szunajski]

Hello experts,
HAPPY FRIDAY!

I got accordion. Dallape-Maestro. It is really piece of art

41 keys, 120 bass
4 reeds on treble side (LMMH) (Tone Chamber)
5 reeds on bass side
12 registers (+1) on treble side and 5 on bass side

I wonder if you guys know anything about it. I searched internet and found only one with same grill on Brazilian OLX website. Other Dallape maestro had different front grills.

The thing with the accordion is that is is in extremely poor condition. I am willing to spend time and energy on it, (I am not expert though) however i have few questions to you guys

1. Should i try to restore it myself?
2. Should I sell it as it is to someone else (I am afraid I might not be able to bring it to great condition compared to people who do it professionally)
3. Should I give it to professional repair shop to repair it and then sell it?

4. If it is finally restored and tuned and in general in great condition, what do you think the value of it could potentially be?

My objective it to fix/restore it and sell it.

The fixes i believe include:
* Bellows need to be remade
* Reeds need to be re-waxed
*Cleaning/ buffing/ polishing
* Reed valves need to be replaced
*The bass mechanism cover needs work (The inner wood frame to which cover was screwed to, is damaged)

Do you think if I give it to professional shop for all those repairs I still could make money?

Below are pictures of the accordion:

All answers are really appreciated.

Thank you,
Regards,

 

[Ventura]

i suspect that is a very old Dallape, late 1940's, maybe early 1950's,
and i suspect it will need a lot more repair work than you think it will..

the Reeds are valuable, and for a full wax and valve job you also
need to be certain the reeds do not get switched out, which means
a very reputable repair tech, or mark the reeds yourself.

good luck

 

[JerryPH]

Congrats on the find. IF this is a real Dallape Maestro, this is a beautiful piece of art for an accordion and it deserves nothing but the best, so don't cheap out on finding a good experienced accordion repair person, this is not the kind of accordion to spend time learning on. Be prepared to pay.

Be aware that the Maestro has one weak spot, that is the registration mechanisms on both left and right hands, the people that will work on this accordion need to be EXTRA gentle and careful when working on it, they break easy and often if not given a lot of love.

Value? Everything depends on the quality of the work done. DIY-it, ruin it and if you get $500, feel lucky. Done right value goes up significantly, it should not go under $4000, and if you hit the right buyer, you can hit above market values around $5500-$6000 if it is in PRISTINE condition. Average in good condition is around the 4K mark and depends mostly on how bad the buyer wants it... this is a VERY niche market.

 

[Ventura]

Jerry is not kidding about how delicate the shift mech is..
on my slightly post war Dallape, it looks like they were made from Pot Metal
and the parts hand-filed and hand riveted/pinned

 

[szunajski]

Congrats on the find. IF this is a real Dallape Maestro, this is a beautiful piece of art for an accordion and it deserves nothing but the best, so don't cheap out on finding a good experienced accordion repair person, this is not the kind of accordion to spend time learning on. Be prepared to pay.

Be aware that the Maestro has one weak spot, that is the registration mechanisms on both left and right hands, the people that will work on this accordion need to be EXTRA gentle and careful when working on it, they break easy and often if not given a lot of love.

Value? Everything depends on the quality of the work done. DIY-it, ruin it and if you get $500, feel lucky. Done right value goes up significantly, it should not go under $4000, and if you hit the right buyer, you can hit above market values around $5500-$6000 if it is in PRISTINE condition. Average in good condition is around the 4K mark and depends mostly on how bad the buyer wants it... this is a VERY niche market.

Thank you for the information you provided!

Is there a way this accordion could not be authentic? I wonder if there is a website I could check based on serial number or something.

Again, thank you!